...and the &'s get stronger - Butcher & the Burger

I normally stay away from the newly opened hot spots at least a couple months before I decide to try, if I ever do. Butcher & the Burger would be one of these types of hot (for now anyway) spots. As far as trendy goes B&tB has everything going for it. They got the name which nowadays has to include two names with an & in between, they do burgers and are also a butcher shop in fancy Lincoln Park. Everyone in line was on FB and Twitter (incl. Me) while using their iPhone. I'll save their story and the names behind the place for all the press that's coming and share my experience. I tried it today because I was hungry, driving by and happened to pull upon a parking spot.

on Armitage in Lincoln Park just west of Sheffield

I walked in around peak lunch hours and there was a line (you order and then sit down) and a few if any seats. It's a pretty small spot including the kitchen, I thought the grill space was and could be a problem. Then again it just opened 10 days ago and it's a beautiful Friday afternoon. So they were packed and the order took 20 minutes but I cant complain about that. They encourage you to call ahead but with this being my first visit, added to the fact you build your own burger I didn't want to call in. I understand mistakes in orders happen when a newly opened place gets flooded and one seemed like it could doing a call in.

Waiting in Line

They also have a guy walking around with an iPad like device that takes orders and payment to those in line so they were trying to move it despite the limited space which is nice. After I ordered I went off to the back where you can get a peak inside the meat locker but I couldn't see much, some cheese and other things but I didn't look to hard. The team making the food seemed to be in-sync as one lady hand patted and seasoned each patty before handing it off to the grillmaster who grilled it and then dressed them before handing the plate to the fries and extra help guys. The flames were rising high with the grill being packed with patties. I liked what which was because of the fact there wasn't anywhere for me to stand except over the action. They make in house breakfast sausage and do breakfast sandwiches until 11a (Noon on wkds) as well as custard which I was tempted to try when I saw today's top flavor.

Custard Menu (Flavors change)

I took it to go since I'm only a five minute drive back. You start off with your preferred burger, I did the ground in house beef blend ($8.50) but there are other options and not all beef. Then you choose a blended spice mix to add in which also has many options ranging from Simple (sea salt and cracked pepper) to Burger Meets Sun (ghost pepper). I went with Chicago Steakhouse blend. Next is your bun which I chose to be the traditional split and buttered egg bun, pretzel rolls are available for .50 cents extra. Only after all that do you tell them your topping options. The on of the house (no charge) toppings include your cheese preference and all the usual suspects while theres also options that are extra like a fried egg ($1) or Benton’s Tennessee Mountain Smoked Bacon ($2). I went with my traditional toppings of grilled onions, mustard, pickles, I chose cheddar cheese and had to try the bacon. I also got the fries which I've heard good things about so I wanted to try them too.

Waiting at the back

The result? Not bad! If your willing to look past the price ($13 and change) and you like a good burger then this could be a good spot. They cook them to your preferred temp inside mine came out medium rare. The bacon as seen below was thick and fantastic, which the same can be said for the fries. I cant recall which type of fancy potatoes they said they use but they taste great and my order was cooked to a perfect crispy consistency with the perfect amount of salt sprinkled on. My only complaint and this is personal taste is that they use the bread and butter pickles which are too sweet for me. I like deli sliced better. Even if it wasn't as good as it was I'd of given them another shot if only because they're close to me and it was crowded to the point where I could see the new workers, not yet in the groove, getting overwhelmed but they didn't so extra props for that. I'll be back.

The kennebec fries are excellent! Thicker cut, crisp exterior, soft interior, nicely salted. Added them to my list of favorite fries in Chicago which include DMK Burger Bar, Edzo's, and Longman & Eagle. I liked my burger a lot, but the fries were more memorable. My burger-- house blend beef ($8.50), sea salt and pepper seasoning, egg bun, cheddar, bacon ($2), fried egg ($1), truffle mayonnaise ($1), fries ($2.50). I'm pretty certain the total came to $17.17. Each component of the burger was well-executed. Beef cooked nicely, cheese melted, runny yolk on the egg, great truffle mayonnaise. Overall, I found the burger delicious but not life-changing. I think I can get burgers just as, or more, fantastic for less money at other restaurants. I guess it's my fault though for choosing all those add-ons...

The inside was quite smokey. They might want to work on their ventilation system.

Friends and I enjoyed our lunch at Butcher & the Burger, but I don't think this will be a regular in my burger rotation. Maybe if I had more $$$

I checked out B &B yesterday as well and would agree--great fries, very good burger (I went a bit lighter on toppings--onion dip seasoning, tomato and pickles which I removed upon discovering they were bread &butters--Not my thing--mustard & ketchup.) Cooking was a bit uneven and parts much rarer than my requested medium. Very flavorful though. And I liked that it wasnt enormous. Definitely pricy but not out of line for what they delivered. They were having serious ventilation issues though--hope that was just a temporary thing.

"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington

Just returned from a thoroughly unimpressive lunch at Butcher and the Burger.

Nothing tasted bad really, but nothing tasted much of anything at all.

But let's start at the beginning. The room is decorated neatly, feeling much like you might be eating in an old school butcher shop. The antique clock hanging at the front of the room is a particularly cool touch. The service was all very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.

That's about where the good ends.

I ordered the house blend burger with salt and pepper seasoning, slice of American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle, lettuce and onion, on a pretzel roll, an order of the kennebec fries, and a Mexican coke (This excited me!).

The patty was incredibly bland, virtually no flavor at all. It seemed to be pressed very firmly together which may have resulted in the odd texture. It didn't feel so much like ground beef as much as a soft form of beef like substance. I also have an inkling that the burger may have been par cooked as it came out just 3 or 4 minutes after placing my order. Not only did it come out that quickly but it came out way past the medium rare I ordered. It was medium well pushing towards well. That being said the burger was not dry at least. My friend, who also ordered his burger medium rare had his come out closer to well than mine. If you're going to ask me how I'd like my burger cooked please don't cook it however you damn well feel.

The pretzel roll had all of the complexity of a pretzel roll bought at Dominic's, which is to say none, for this sad excuse for a pretzel roll I had to pay $0.50 extra.

The kennebec fries, while slightly salted (I saw the salt on there) were also very bland. To top it off, they were poorly cooked too, not greasy, but not crisp in any way either.

Now, I don't mind paying for quality, but when I pay sixteen and a half bucks for a burger, fries and a coke it had better be really good. This was not. It wasn't bad, because it didn't taste bad, but it just didn't taste of much at all.

There are so many other burger joints that serve much better food for the same price or less that there is no need for me to go back.

I had lunch at B&tB last week, and quite enjoyed the burger. I went with the house blend beef with simple (salt & pepper) seasoning, on the basic split-top egg bun, topped with cheddar, mayo, griddled onions, and pickle chips, and a side of the Kennebec fries.

I thought the burger was as good as any other good burger...maybe not in the same league as Owen & Engine, but very respectable - cooked exactly to the medium rare that I requested, juicy, mildly beefy-tasting - and I dug the bun.

The fries, on the other hand, were not my cup of tea - granted, I'm not generally a huge fry fan. While hot out of the fryer, they were fine, though not at all fluffy. After they'd cooled down a little, however, I found them to be unpleasantly dense, and ended up tossing most of them.

I could see myself stopping back in for a burger (sans fries) if I happened to be in the neighborhood, but B&tB didn't wow me enough to be a destination in & of itself.

I recently ate dinner at Butcher and the Burger. On the suggestion of a friend, I ordered the natural and local house blend rare, spiced with grandma's onion soup, griddled onions, cheddar cheese, Benton's smoked bacon, black truffle mayo, on a split top egg butter bun, heirloom fries with a side of black truffle mayo, and a Mexican Coke. Everything was great and I'll be back.

I like this place a lot, and will say for me, it's the best burger I have eaten in Chicago. My favorite burger isthe umami burger at Umami Burger in LA. But I digress......

The burger is great and I tried to re-create my umami experience I loved so much so I got the grass-fed on egg/butter bun, ketchup, swiss (no parmesan), grilled onions (these things are amazing and add great flavor) mayo and tomato. The meat was nice and thick and cooked perfectly to my medium expectation. The burger itself was quite messy and was sliding around on the bun, due to the mayo/ketchup/cheese, but was very enjoyable. What I liked best about the burger was the flavor of the meat. Not the toppings or pretzel bun, but the actual burger tasted very good to me and was seasoned well.

The con's - seating is small and there is no communication on how it works and the staff is not good with communicating the policy. Do I order first then grab a table like a lot of places or do I get a table, then order? Please someone tell me as it seems both were happening which were literally screwing people out of tables. (This is my rant here at all open seating restaurants......and then worse is when people are just hanging out after they are done eating and not getting up when they see people standing around, rude!) Price is high as well, for a rootber and grassfed burger I was out like $14, but the burger is amazing and I was full. So it is not a deterrent for me.

All in all, both times I've gone I ran into the same experience with food and seating. Will I go again, YES, I wish I can go tonight. If you like burgers, then go, but maybe go on an off hour as the seating is limited and the space is tight. I wouldn't recommend bringing kids, just another headache for a very tight spot.

chicagostyledog wrote:I recently ate dinner at Butcher and the Burger. On the suggestion of a friend, I ordered the natural and local house blend rare, spiced with grandma's onion soup, griddled onions, cheddar cheese, Benton's smoked bacon, black truffle mayo, on a split top egg butter bun, heirloom fries with a side of black truffle mayo, and a Mexican Coke. Everything was great and I'll be back.

While this sounds pretty good, I wonder how you could taste the beef through all those toppings? I like the idea of all the choices, but seem to be a burger purist. Now if I've enjoyed a few adult beverages beforehand...

chicagostyledog wrote:I recently ate dinner at Butcher and the Burger. On the suggestion of a friend, I ordered the natural and local house blend rare, spiced with grandma's onion soup, griddled onions, cheddar cheese, Benton's smoked bacon, black truffle mayo, on a split top egg butter bun, heirloom fries with a side of black truffle mayo, and a Mexican Coke. Everything was great and I'll be back.

While this sounds pretty good, I wonder how you could taste the beef through all those toppings? I like the idea of all the choices, but seem to be a burger purist. Now if I've enjoyed a few adult beverages beforehand...

Perhaps heavy handed toppings are the way to go at Butcher and the Burger. They'd have added flavor to what I found to be a flavorless patty.

I guess that I have quit looking for the magic in all the new high end burger joints. I have tried the latest editions and found them expensively so-so. At Five Guy's Oak Park, for example, a BC burger, fries and soda was upwards of 12.00 or so. At best, the finished product could be termed maybe passable-overcooked, raw fries, snippy service. So tonight, when I wanted a burger, I went back to an old favorite, Goldyburger's, in Forest Park, and had a heavy duty bacon cheddar number for less than 8.00- and it was a great burger. After all these years, I know what I will get at Goldy's, as you do at your fave neighborhood place. The new places boast of the greatest ingredients- fresh ground, heavenly blessed beef, pretzel buns, etc. that they'll sell you, but in my opinion, they just don't deliver on the promise. Some of these new places may fade away, but your neighborhood favorite will still be around, and will need your patronage.

Life has its expectations then it has its expectations, I too went to the the last best burger joints realizing "this is it?" However usually when I have a burger whether on the road or a destination I am quite satisfied with my burger. So I had my "best" burger at Bill's, Prairie Moon, Candlelite, McDonalds, Wieners Circle any old burger joint, but never at any of the latest the "best" burger joints, some in fact where pretty dismal, see how long they last.However none of these places depend on what anybody here thinks, because Butcher and and the Burger is doing great and they employ people.So they are all great.

I've been to B&TB twice now since my dad lives nearby and gets a powerful burger jones from time to time. First time I had the grass-fed beef burger. Can't remember the spice option I chose. I thought it was good, definitely above average, surely not life-changing and expensive enough to make me double check that I'd heard the cashier correctly.

Second time I wasn't in a burger mood but the old man was not to be denied, so when I saw a fish sandwich on the specials menu, I went for it. Glad I did, because it was one of the better fishwiches I've had in a while. Lightly battered, moist and flakey, it was really flavorful and not at all heavy. Aside from a slice of cheddar cheese, I didn't put a thing on it except a squeeze of lemon. It was the kind of sandwich that would've been insulted by tartar sauce, which I'm convinced was invented by the Gorton's fisherman to cover the taste of crappy product.

One feature of the place worth noting is how crazy smokey it gets in there when it's busy. Both times I've eaten there. I've smelled of the experience for hours afterwards (which my dad actually likes - I think he called it an olfactory leftover). They seem to have a pretty serious ventilation system in place, so go figure. I just wonder how the staff manages.

I seriously don't know what the hype with this place is. Kumas and 25 degrees are my two favorite burger places in the world. I went there today after seeing so many rave reviews on Yelp (and some good ones here). My burger consisted of

I also had fries and a Mexican Coke. Grand total was $25 with tip. Seriously? That's insane for one burger.

I went around 6pm yesterday, there were maybe 4 tables full when I ordered, came out in about 15 minutes, not bad I guess. It looked good, fries look like the same as Kumas and 25 degrees. The best way I can describe them is they look like a french fry and taste and feel exactly like a potato chip.. Not the best thing in the world. 6/10 at best. I don't really care for Kumas fries much either, their good but they're not the waffle fries of yesterday. (But their catsup is delish though!)

The burger. Where do I start with this giant disappointment. I ordered my burger medum rare and it came out well done. The egg had about 4 drops of runny egg, the rest was incredibly over done. it almost instantly fell apart with a large portion of the toppings falling out the second I lifted the burger. The burger was incredibly bland, and the only thing I could taste out of all of it was the overpowering spice. Not good spice like Kumas, but it was like going to my spice drawer, throwing spices in my hand then eating it.. plain. The bacon while nice and thick was incredibly rubbery and had an odd taste. The texture of the burger reminded me of a frozen patty from Jewel. 2/10

Horribly disappointed. I could get 2 good kuma burgers (great if I go at the right time) for the price of one of these. Add in the $5 I spent for public transit, and that was a huge waste of money. Considering I could see Tarantino's calling me from the door of B&B I should of listened. Maybe I could have had their orgasmic Asparagus Risotto again (All their food when we went was literally the BEST ever but the risotto took the cake).

matada wrote:I seriously don't know what the hype with this place is. Kumas and 25 degrees are my two favorite burger places in the world. I went there today after seeing so many rave reviews on Yelp (and some good ones here). My burger consisted of

I also had fries and a Mexican Coke. Grand total was $25 with tip. Seriously? That's insane for one burger.

I went around 6pm yesterday, there were maybe 4 tables full when I ordered, came out in about 15 minutes, not bad I guess. It looked good, fries look like the same as Kumas and 25 degrees. The best way I can describe them is they look like a french fry and taste and feel exactly like a potato chip.. Not the best thing in the world. 6/10 at best. I don't really care for Kumas fries much either, their good but they're not the waffle fries of yesterday. (But their catsup is delish though!)

The burger. Where do I start with this giant disappointment. I ordered my burger medum rare and it came out well done. The egg had about 4 drops of runny egg, the rest was incredibly over done. it almost instantly fell apart with a large portion of the toppings falling out the second I lifted the burger. The burger was incredibly bland, and the only thing I could taste out of all of it was the overpowering spice. Not good spice like Kumas, but it was like going to my spice drawer, throwing spices in my hand then eating it.. plain. The bacon while nice and thick was incredibly rubbery and had an odd taste. The texture of the burger reminded me of a frozen patty from Jewel. 2/10

Horribly disappointed. I could get 2 good kuma burgers (great if I go at the right time) for the price of one of these. Add in the $5 I spent for public transit, and that was a huge waste of money. Considering I could see Tarantino's calling me from the door of B&B I should of listened. Maybe I could have had their orgasmic Asparagus Risotto again (All their food when we went was literally the BEST ever but the risotto took the cake).

Live and Learn.

And if anyone is curious - this is what a $17.50 burger looks like:

Welcome to the board. I have not tried this place yet (it actually lost a coin flip yesterday to The Burger Philosophy) and it's on my radar. I have to say if I ordered a burger medium rare and it came out like a hockey puck AND I paid a fortune for it, I would have sent it right back. So while you're review is brutally honest, it's skewed. Yes, the restaurant screwed it up. But you ate a well done burger which would have been a 2/10 at Kumas or 25 degrees as well. So your review means nothing to me. Of course the burger is going to be terrible. You also got a grass fed beef patty. I don't think Kumas uses that. Do you like grass fed beef?

Alas, they are expensive, the fries were so-so, the steakhouse seasoning was bad, the egg was overcooked and they can't cook the burger properly - got it. But I still have no idea how good it is when it's cooked RIGHT. Send it back next time.

The fact that matada's burger arrived overcooked points to a possible inconsistency in the kitchen and is, regardless of whether it is sent back, valuable information. Thank you for the report, matada, I hope you continue posting.

@geno55 - I've been lurking for about a year now. I ironically enough found out about LTHForum from a friend, while eating at LTH.

@Ram4 - I've had 2 messed up burgers in the 9 times I've been to Kumas in the last year. both times I ordered medium rare, now I order rare and never have an issue. And even when my burger was overcooked, it was to a late medium, but still incredibly flavorful and moist. Even a crappy kumas burger still gets a 5/10 out of me usually.

Depending on what I read on the burger Philosophy I'll try them out next.

I would have sent the burger back, but they got really busy, and I can't do large amounts of people.

geno55 wrote:The fact that matada's burger arrived overcooked points to a possible inconsistency in the kitchen and is, regardless of whether it is sent back, valuable information.

Kitchen consistency is very valueable if it is proven to be inconsistent. But matada went one time. Could've been a fluke. Besides, most of the allegedly best joints will screw up on cooking meat, Kuma's does for me every other time I go there, so it's 50/50 that it will be cooked exactly the way I asked. I've never had them bring me a well done hockey puck though.

I honestly won't be returning here. The insane price is WAY outside of my budget. I can afford to splurge (yes with my budget it's a splurge) $13 at kumas for a burger. almost $20 for a burger that was about on par with McDonalds isn't right in my books especially with a 2 hour CTA ride for it!.

I went to Kumas today and my faith in burger humanity has been restored. But that's a post for the Kuma's thread.

Met friends who live nearby here today since we were in a burger mood. The place was so busy - we lucked into a table after waiting about 15 minutes but the amount of seating is really limited unless you want to sit at the window counter on the side. The air is also stunningly smokey - they had a back door open which helped a little but we considered taking our food away. With the small seating area, you are right on top of the next table - and it's a little tricky to get in and out of some of the seats.

I went with the basic burger, salt& pepper, tomato, lettuce, ketchup ... on a pretzel roll and it was definitely tasty and cooked right. It satisfied my burger desire quite nicely but it was awfully pricey and with the uncomfortable seating, I'm not sure how eager I am to go back.

As an aside, from the website, I knew they also sell meat and do butchering classes but the place was so jammed, I never managed to get a view of the meat case.

Only one data point, but my burger was underwhelming. I ordered the house blend beef with steakhouse seasoning on a wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and bbq sauce, with fries. The highlight was the bun. Although the burger and fries were cooked perfectly, both were woefully under seasoned. If the steakhouse spice blend was added to the meat it was added in such a small quantity as to be undetectable. I think Allen Sternweiler is a great chef and maybe the food is consistently excellent when he's there. I'll try B&B again, but I'm not in a hurry to go back.